One of the best ways to learn and listen to the Lord is to learn scriptures by heart, and the Lord is inviting us to learn the following this week. It will be a challenge. I'm starting to learn this by heart by using the following guide. It helps to read it out loud. Go to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A1-20&version=NIV to see what is missing...
C_l_ss__ns 1:1–20 (NIV84)
1 P__l, _n _p_stl_ _f Chr_st J_s_s by th_ w_ll _f G_d,
_nd T_m_thy __r br_th_r,
_nd T_m_thy __r br_th_r,
2 T_ th_ h_ly _nd f__thf_l brethren _n Chr_st _t C_l_ss__:
Gr_c_ _nd p__c_ t_ y__ fr_m G_d __r F_th_r.
3 W_ _lw_ys th_nk G_d, th_ F_th_r _f __r L_rd J_s_s Chr_st, wh_n w_ pr_y f_r y__,
4 b_c__s_ w_ h_v_ h__rd _f y__r f__th _n Chr_st J_s_s _nd _f th_ l_v_ y__ h_v_ f_r _ll th_ s__nts—
5 th_ f__th _nd l_v_ th_t spr_ng fr_m th_ h_p_ th_t _s st_r_d _p f_r y__ _n h__v_n _nd th_t y__ h_v_ _lr__dy h__rd _b__t _n th_ w_rd _f tr_th, th_ g_sp_l 6 th_t h_s c_m_ t_ y__.
_ll
_v_r th_ w_rld th_s g_sp_l _s b__r_ng fr__t _nd
gr_w_ng, j_st _s _t h_s b__n d__ng _m_ng y__ s_nc_
th_ d_y y__ h__rd _t _nd _nd_rst__d G_d’s gr_c_ _n
_ll _ts tr_th.
7 Y__ l__rn_d _t fr_m _p_phr_s, __r d__r f_ll_w
s_rv_nt, wh_ _s _ f__thf_l m_n_st_r _f Chr_st _n __r
b_h_lf, 8 _nd wh_ _ls_ t_ld _s _f y__r l_v_ _n th_ Sp_r_t.
9
F_r th_s r__s_n, s_nc_ th_ d_y w_ h__rd _b__t y__,
w_ h_v_ n_t st_pp_d pr_y_ng f_r y__ _nd _sk_ng G_d
t_ f_ll y__ w_th th_ kn_wl_dg_ _f h_s w_ll thr__gh
_ll sp_r_t__l w_sd_m _nd _nd_rst_nd_ng.
10
_nd w_ pr_y th_s _n _rd_r th_t y__ m_y l_v_ _
l_f_ w_rthy _f th_ L_rd _nd m_y pl__s_ h_m _n
_v_ry w_y: b__r_ng fr__t _n _v_ry g__d w_rk, gr_w_ng
_n th_ kn_wl_dg_ _f G_d, 11 b__ng
str_ngth_n_d w_th _ll p_w_r _cc_rd_ng t_ h_s gl_r___s
m_ght s_ th_t y__ m_y h_v_ gr__t _nd_r_nc_ _nd
p_t__nc_, _nd j_yf_lly 12 g_v_ng th_nks t_
th_ F_th_r, wh_ h_s q__l_f__d y__ t_ sh_r_ _n th_
_nh_r_t_nc_ _f th_ s__nts _n th_ k_ngd_m _f l_ght.
13 F_r h_ h_s r_sc__d _s fr_m th_ d_m_n__n _f d_rkn_ss
_nd br__ght _s _nt_ th_ k_ngd_m _f th_ S_n h_
l_v_s, 14 _n wh_m w_ h_v_ r_d_mpt__n, th_ f_rg_v_n_ss _f s_ns.
15 H_ _s th_ _m_g_ _f th_ _nv_s_bl_ G_d, th_ f_rstb_rn _v_r _ll cr__t__n. 16
F_r by h_m _ll th_ngs w_r_ cr__t_d: th_ngs _n
h__v_n _nd _n __rth, v_s_bl_ _nd _nv_s_bl_, wh_th_r
thr_n_s _r p_w_rs _r r_l_rs _r __th_r_t__s; _ll th_ngs
w_r_ cr__t_d by h_m _nd f_r h_m. 17 H_ _s b_f_r_ _ll th_ngs, _nd _n h_m _ll th_ngs h_ld t_g_th_r. 18
_nd h_ _s th_ h__d _f th_ b_dy, th_ ch_rch; h_
_s th_ b_g_nn_ng _nd th_ f_rstb_rn fr_m _m_ng th_
d__d, s_ th_t _n _v_ryth_ng h_ m_ght h_v_ th_
s_pr_m_cy.
19 F_r G_d w_s pl__s_d t_ h_v_ _ll h_s f_lln_ss dw_ll _n h_m, 20
_nd thr__gh h_m t_ r_c_nc_l_ t_ h_ms_lf _ll th_ngs,
wh_th_r th_ngs _n __rth _r th_ngs _n h__v_n, by
m_k_ng p__c_ thr__gh h_s bl__d, sh_d _n th_ cr_ss.
[Use it together with your Bible to see how much you can guess at. After you have gotten good at reading it without the vowels (out loud), copy the above to a word processor and begin to "find and replace" other common letters... replace, for example, every "s" with an asterisk ("*"). Then do the same with "t" and "n" etc. You'll be amazed how quickly you can learn a long passage by heart... don't worry about getting it perfect though. Just get as much of it in your heart and head as you can.]
Does that seem challenging? Here's part of an early copy of Paul's letter. (To learn more go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrus_46.) Like this sample, the original Greek New Testament was written in all capital letters, without spaces, punctuation, accents or diacritical marks. It was meant for reading aloud!
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